Risca Male Choir tour to Chester
May 31 – June 4, 2023
Introduction by Paul Phillips - Chairman
At long last! This was the reaction of 35 RMC choristers and 16 partners, as they boarded our coach on Wednesday 31st May 2023 for a tour that had been over 4 years in the planning, and twice cancelled due to a pandemic that is now, thankfully, in the past. It was indeed a posh coach compared to some that we had previously travelled on for a tour.
We had a leisurely drive to Chester including 2 comfort stops, a chance to stretch legs on a beautiful summer’s day. When we arrived at our hotel, it was met with nods of approval from all. Just one exception……. the prices in the bar, but that’s what you get if you stay in good quality hotels, so other local hostelries were soon found!
It was a great start to what proved to be a very enjoyable tour. Monies raised at the two concerts went to the Chester food banks. The whole event was superbly organised (and reorganised twice!) by our own Alan Davis. Music reviews and social reviews follow from others on tour.
Review of RMC Concert, 1st June 2023, Christ Church, Higher Bebington, Wirral.
The last time RMC visited Christ Church was twelve years ago, when we helped raise funds for community facilities attached to the church, so it was good to be able to enjoy those new facilities on this occasion. This was to be our first full concert with our new MD, Matt Harrison, and, with the Eisteddfod just around the corner, an important test of our readiness to give of our best.
The initial try-out in the church was a little edgy, as we came to terms with the rather unresponsive acoustic and the cramped stage space. However, a warm-up in the new hall set us up well, and we started the programme with a confident rendering of Let all men sing, followed by a tender Anfonaf Angel. It was clear that the audience (of around 120 people) responded well to both pieces, especially to our singing in Welsh. Here we made use of the organ, as an alternative accompaniment, which added variety to the performance.
Andrew Jenkins then delivered the first of his splendid solo items, accompanied by MD Emeritus, Martin Hodson. There was heroic power in his singing of Arm! Arm, ye brave, and a wonderful control and sweetness of tone in the quieter passages.
More Welsh followed with Ar hyd y nos and O Gymru, where we followed Matt’s direction well, singing through the phrases towards the climax of the chorus. After another item from Andy came two of our Eisteddfod pieces. Hodie was accompanied by Martin on keyboard and Alison Thomas on an array of percussion, which lent great atmosphere to the performance. We could probably do with more contrast between loud and soft in this piece, but it is shaping up well. Drunken Sailor was unaccompanied, and there were a few uncertain moments in the transitions between sections, and some loss of pitch along the way; but there was a good energy and sense of enjoyment too.
During the interval we were sustained with tea, coffee and cake, which were very welcome. The second half started with two lighter and better-known items, I’m goin’ up a yonder and Gonna rise up singing, and the choir began to feel a bit more relaxed.
Andy then sang for us two Rodgers & Hammerstein numbers, Oh what a beautiful morning and This nearly was mine; this is repertoire where he is completely at home and performs very naturally, and we and the audience had the pleasure of joining in with the chorus too.
Next came an atmospheric rendition of Hiraeth, where the shaping of the ‘Ooh’ section at the end of each verse is getting near to what Matt wants from us. The Word was God by Rosephanye Powell requires intense concentration and tight rhythms, and we pulled off a very exciting performance indeed.
Andy’s last two songs, Cymru fach and My little Welsh home, were very moving, particularly in view of his own recent bereavements. The choir stood and applauded afterwards as a sign of our respect and support for him.
The programme ended with Sunset Poem, the narration spoken with great character by 2nd tenor Dave Tutton, and then our third Eisteddfod piece, Gwinllan a roddwyd. There is some refinement to be done before the competition, but this was delivered with passion and warmth, a fitting end to a memorable event.
Matt clearly enjoyed his banter with the audience, though he seemed a little confused about where we were, with a reference to us being in Liverpool (!); but we made up for that with our heartfelt encore, You’ll never walk alone.
We eventually found the British Legion Club for our ‘afterglow’ session, where the drink flowed freely and the singing was hearty (to put it politely). We’ve heard since that the concert raised just short of £1000, which is to go to the local Foodbank – yet another element that makes singing with RMC so satisfying and worthwhile!
Robin Grayson: Baritone
Our long-awaited Tour
We embarked the coach outside our headquarters around 9am on Wednesday morning to head for our destination in Chester at the Crowne Plaza Hotel .We arrived in good spirits and settled into our rooms for a brief breather and to sort out clothing etc. We then headed for the centre for food and some liquid refreshments. We split up into several parties for this. Our own numbered approx. 16 persons but joined others in the Weatherspoon’s pub .We had a few glasses , some decided to have food there and others left to other venues. Our party visited a lovely little place called “The Yard” a short distance from the Weatherspoon’s, the food was lovely and enjoyed by all .We then sauntered slowly back to the hotel as tiredness crept over us.
Day 2, a red day as we have a concert in the evening in the Wirral. During the day some of us visited the Cathedral which was not too far away. A very interesting couple of hours looking here and there .We had a comfort break in the little restaurant and chatted away about the visit there and also about our forthcoming concert. There was an organ recital which we listened to for about half an hour. We all had to be ready and on the coach for 5pm, so with this in mind one of the ladies looked on the Web and found another smashing eating place called “The Botanist”. The food was delightful and enjoyed by all. We then headed back to our base, the Crowne Plaza, to freshen up and get changed in readiness for the concert which started at 7 pm.
The concert went off really well and we had lovely feedback, which is what we all wanted to hear. We understand that the church raised just under £1000 for their cause, whisk is fantastic. We were invited a short distance down the road to the British Legion Club, where we all slaked our thirst. We also sang a couple of songs which the locals thoroughly enjoyed. Sadly the hours sailed by and we boarded the coach back to the hotel. This was not the end of the evening for some, not by a long way, apparently a few bars were visited until the early hours, I understand, but no one really disgraced themselves, just a letting down of the hair (for those who had some).
Day 3, Free.
Friday was our day to visit Liverpool, starting at St Georges Dock where we split up into groups and did our thing! Our group decided on the hop-on-hop-off bus tour. We visited the huge Anglican Cathedral which was very interesting in design and architecture. From there we walked a little way and stopped at a really old pub for a little liquid refreshment, after all, it was a hot day. Later we then proceeded towards the fairly new Catholic Cathedral. There again, it was very interesting. Some of the party decided to go to the top of the building via steps and two lifts, the views were extraordinary and a 360 degree panorama.
After our Cathedral tours we didn’t have time to see other places as the sightseeing bus stopped running at 4pm, so we made our way back to the dock area and looked around for food. After searching, we found a place called “Pan Am” a very large establishment, which we decided on for our meal which was really nice .Sadly the time flew by again and it was time to head back to our coach which departed at 7pm for our journey back to Chester. Some decided to have a last drink or two before settling down for the night.
Day 4, Saturday, a red day again as we had another concert locally in Chester.
Everyone followed the no alcohol rules. This day was spent by most, wandering around this lovely city. You walk one way and suddenly you come across something even more interesting than previously, there are many, many different avenues to go down all very interesting. The upper balconies gave another dimension to the town with its own shops and eateries, we thoroughly enjoyed looking around and walking the city wall, and ended up at the riverfront which caught us by surprise. One of the ladies again found us a delightful eatery called “The Coach House” very near the Cathedral. We all had an exceptional meal and enjoyed by all in our group. Time to head back again to our hotel to freshen up and get changed in readiness for the local concert. This, our second concert also went down extremely well and again had lovely feedback.
To finish off our evening we were invited to a pub a short distance from the church. We all then settled down to relax with a swift half or two. We were asked to sing something Welsh for a lady whose birthday it was: we obliged, and also sang a few more to the delight of our captive audience. Sadly time caught up with us again and we made our way to the coach for our return to base. Quite a few wanted a final drink or two, to sadly finish off our few days in Chester. Some went back into the city and a few descended into the hotel bar. This was an interesting hour or so as there were people there from a Mason’s meeting .We started to sing, they joined in and at times very lively to say the least . Still a good last night enjoyed by all. Bed was calling, marking the end of our first tour since 2019.
Our thanks to Alan Davis for his organising skills, he did a brilliant job.
Also, our thanks to coach driver, Craig who did a magnificent job.
And finally, to the staff at The Crowne Plaza, the choice of food at breakfast was excellent, and the rooms and all public areas of the hotel, spotless.
Mike Sullivan: Baritone
Review of RMC Concert, 3rd June 2023, All Saints Church, Hoole, Chester
On Saturday June 3rd 2023, Risca Male Choir received a very warm welcome from the Rotary Club of Chester, and a warm welcome to Chester itself. We experienced magnificent weather during the whole tour, showing Chester’s attributes in style.
The last concert of this year’s UK Tour was held just five minutes outside of Chester at All Saints Church, Hoole. On this occasion RMC were joined by guest soloist Jane Johnson (with her accompanist Treona Holden), with our own Andrew Jenkins as ever flying the flag of RMC performing a few items. The choir opened with the rousing Let All Men Sing (Keith Christopher), whilst also treating the audience to some of RMC’s home nation repertoire (well, Chester is very close to the border). Items included Anfonaf Angel (Robat Arwyn), Ar hyd y nos (arranged by our Music Director Emeritus, Martin Hodson MBE) and Hiraeth (arrangement by ex RMC conductor Alwyn Humphries).
RMC can delight in an accomplished performance of one of their more challenging repertoire pieces The word was God (Rosephany Powell). This piece splits into eight parts at times and the choir has worked tirelessly to achieve the right sound, balance and blend. A good job well done! We concluded our contribution with Gwinllan a Roddwyd (Caradog Williams) to rapturous applause. Or did we? As ever an encore is called for by the audience, so RMC could not disappoint. Being so close to Liverpool we felt duty bound to end with You’ll never walk alone from Carousel (arrangement by Martin Hodson MBE.)
Guest soprano, Jane Johnson, brought some Classical and Baroque styles to her programme, whilst including some more contemporary numbers such as Don't cry for me Argentina, Evita (Andrew Lloyd Webber). It was however, a last minute change to her programme that brought ‘the house down’ with a light, humorous yet challenging performance of I want to sing in opera. This is from the musical show The Siren produced in 1911 by J Kern, G Arthurs and W David. With roses being delicately launched to male members of the audience, including a few of the choir (gents you need to smile more to reap the rewards). Whether its Jane’s performance or “Keeping up Appearances” actress Patricia Routledge’s version that brought more of a smile to many faces and a chuckle or fifty, I’ll leave the audience to decide.
It was RMC’s George Morgan (Baritone), who had the most honourable duty of the night, earning him his new title “Keeper of the Bag”. Diligently he protected Jane’s bags during each of her performances. I must declare a different bag each set to go with the costume changes, from musical stage star to a full bright yellow ball gown reminiscent of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. RMC is proud of you George!
Andy’s emotional pieces included Cymru Fach (David Richards) and My little Welsh home (WS Gwynn Williams). Both pieces brought a tear to many an eye. He concluded with a classic duet with Jane which RMC knows he loves to perform, Trot here and there (Véronique, André Messager). It was expertly executed, a sublime performance Andy! It was a privilege, and RMC were delighted to have Paul Phillips (RMC Chairman) point out to the audience at the end of the concert that part of RMC’s generations of choir Music Directors were present. Martin Hodson MBE and Music Director Emeritus, Tomos Gwyn former MD along with his fiancée, soon to be wife, Emily, (we were in their new neighbourhood after all), and of course current MD Matthew Harrison. This demonstrated how the baton has been lately handed over in RMC’s 53 year existence. There were only two prior to Martin’s tenure starting in 1979.
RMC thanks the Rotary Club of Chester and their sponsors, for organising and achieving this concert, in aid of a very worthy cause, West Cheshire Food Bank. RMC were glad to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause, making a small but important impact on the cost of living crisis facing the UK presently.
Tim Stone: First tenor
RMC Ladies on Tour
It had been far too long since the whole RMC family had been on tour. We had missed the friendship and laughter during the COVID years but at last life had got back to near normality and we were off to Chester for five days.
I know that I should trust the meteorological office but having lived in Britain for longer than I would care to admit I have developed a deep mistrust of anything promised in that two minutes after the main news: sun for all five days, in Britain during half term? Not really believable.
It is a terrible thing to try to pack a suitcase to go away with Risca Male Choir when the only weight restriction on luggage is how much you can physically carry. After much packing, unpacking and rearranging I hoped I was ready to go, with only a few extra items of clothing just in case it did rain.
Meeting up with the choristers, wives and partners is always exciting and after much hugging and greeting of old friends and new we were off to Chester in a rather lovely coach. Several hours later we arrived at our hotel which was conveniently situated in the centre of Chester. What a stunning city. Plenty to see and do and an amazing array of large stores and small independent shops, you could practically hear the choristers’ wallets and credit cards starting to groan. There were two separate concerts planned and on these days we were free to explore Chester. We ladies had time to explore the cathedral with plenty of time to shop, stop for refreshments, shop some more, stroll down to the river, continue shopping and if we still had the strength, walk the city wall before the shops shut. It was such a shame that these were Red Days. The choristers couldn’t all congregate in the nearest pub or pub garden to wait for us and many could be seen loitering outside the shops muttering under their breath. Perhaps I do them a disservice and they were merely rehearsing the songs for that evening.
We were truly spoilt for choices of places to eat, from a sandwich down by the river to mouthwatering menus in independent restaurants. There were rather a lot of pubs and clubs too but there is a rule that what happens on tour stays on tour.
The first concert in Bebington was stunning and very moving. Our husbands and partners arrived as a disparate group of laughing and joking men who upon changing into their choir uniforms transformed into a single entity: The Choir. A beautifully chosen programme, brilliantly sung, suited the spiritual surroundings and projected their proud Welsh heritage.
A trip to sunny Liverpool was included, which surprisingly didn’t involve any shopping. A Red Bus Tour showed us all the highlights the city had to offer and many visited the two cathedrals. Two bits of interesting information from the guide on the coach tour were firstly that the name Scousers originated from the stew Lobscouse eaten by sailors throughout Northern Europe, which the people of Liverpool dock cooked and enjoyed. Secondly that the name Liverpool came from the need for a fresh water pool near the docks to provide drinking water and the laver seaweed which grew nearby (used by the Welsh to make laverbread).
After a quick photo in the Eurovision 2023 hearts and a meal of original Scouse stew in the old docks area, all too quickly we were headed back to the hotel.
Another glorious day heralded the second concert in a local church in Hoole. There is something magical about the choir singing in old churches; the acoustics were built for services and hymns and each note and syllable could be heard clearly. As always the Ladies had long conversations with the audiences at both venues and we were delighted to hear how much everyone had enjoyed the programme. Some had been deeply moved by the spiritual elements while others, who had lived in Wales, became quite teary during the Welsh songs and came to understand the untranslatable word “hiraeth”.
That evening the soloist Jane Johnson had given George Morgan her sparkly bag to hold while she sang a lovely duet with our own Andy Jenkins. We were all rather jealous but I am not sure if she ever got it back.
I would be doing the Ladies a disservice if I tried to pick out any one of them for a special mention but I feel I must congratulate Olga Tutton on her newly found marketing skills. I believe she has broken the record for selling choir CDs in a single evening and even had two ladies almost come to blows about who was going to own the most recordings.
I have always felt that the Ladies add to the life of the choir and provide an invaluable service when in the audience. We are listening and watching the choir as they perform. These are our loved ones singing and we can provide gentle constructive criticism and heartfelt praise when needed. This last trip to Chester demonstrated just how magical their performances can be.
Maggie Lovett: Kevin’s wife
